Can my 1973 crew cab do a 4,000 mile road trip?

[D-Day]

The answer is yes. I got back last Saturday night from an 8 day, 11 state, 4,000 mile trip with friends.

In order...Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, back through said states to Ohio, over to Pennsylvania (stayed in Philly 3 nights and days; popped over to New Jersey for a visit in Atlantic City), down through Delaware and Maryland, Virginia, dropped a friend off in North Carolina, headed back up through Virginia, West Virginia, back into Ohio to drop a friend off at Columbus airport, then home.

The plan was to have two friends bus into a nearby city via Greyhound, where I'd pick them up (Toledo), and we'd head to Centralia, PA to check out the underground coal fires, making about 2 stops in between then. Light driving, really. Then afterwards, we'd spend the last few days in Philadelphia, PA.

Well, plans changed. On the day before we were supposed to leave, my friend coming from Florida got stranded in Atlanta due to a winter storm up north. Greyhound sucks, and they didn't wanna go any further north. So, he stayed the night there until Friday, the day we were supposed to leave at like 7am (they were to both get in around 6am). Then he told me they didn't even know if they'd even have buses going out that evening, which would totally screw the trip up for everybody involved.

My friend from Vermont, however, was on time. Other friend was 632 miles away in Atlanta with no immediate plans for getting up here. He said he was thinking about just heading back to Florida and calling it off.

This was around 9:30am, and I had been up since 3:38am, and driving since 6:30am; in between showing my other friend my hometown and doing stuff like that. So I turn to her while we're idling down my hometown streets, "F--k it, wanna go to Atlanta?"

And so, it was decided. The trip already took a turn for the longer. I stopped by my house and grabbed some stuff, but not all my clothes, because they weren't dry yet and not packed. I'd pick them up on the way back.

So off we went. I drove down to Atlanta from Bowling Green, OH (after picking my friend up in Toledo, OH earlier that morning), got my friend, and made it as far back as Heiskell, TN that night. I'd been driving for over 16 hours and 800 miles on 5 1/2 hours sleep. Woke up at 3:38am, finally got off the road around 11:40pm. It was getting borderline dangerous, I was close to falling asleep.

So, wake up around 9am Saturday morning, and start heading for Centralia area. Skipping stopping in Cleveland because we were behind schedule. I stopped by my house, grabbed the rest of my stuff, threw it in the truck and we headed onward; making a brief stop in my hometown to take a breather and gas up around 5-6pm. Then we drove to Grove City, PA where we stopped for the night and met up with another friend. Already a hefty first driving day, the route from Heiskell, TN to Grove City PA from 9am to 12-1am was another 647 miles at least.

The next day we headed to Centralia, checked stuff out, then headed to Philly later that day and checked into a hotel about 11:41pm that night. I'm not sure how many miles I drove that day, but imagine from the west side of the PA border to the east. Plus some local driving around Centralia.

Then spent 3 nights and days in Philly - it was hilarious to see valet trying to park my crew cab in their parking garage. It was infamously known by all involved; the door man, the parking garage guys, desk clerks...you could hear it rumbling down the streets whenever they'd bring it up. It sounded as loud as a bus, with the exhaust cackling off the high city buildings. Tuesday we popped over to Atlantic City, New Jersey for a gander. Jersey sucks. Sorry, but it sucked.

Anyway, my friend from Vermont/Montreal was to depart Tuesday night via Greyhound to visit her brother in North Carolina before she went back to Montreal (school break). We didn't want the trip to end, so she extended her ticket to Wednesday night. Well, Wednesday came, and I didn't wanna leave her at some dirty bus depot...so I said...wanna go to Carolina? And so it was decided on a whim yet again, to drive another 450 miles. Out we went.

Got down to Elon, North Carolina around 12-1am that night after leaving Philly about 4pm and combating multiple city rush hour traffic. We hung around there a day or two, finally departed, and me and my friend headed back to Columbus, Ohio.

He got screwed by Greyhound, so he was gonna fly back from Columbus, a place on my way home. So, another 470 miles to there by way of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. We stay the night there, then we meet up with another friend about 80 miles away, then drive back to Columbus so he can fly out. We say goodbye, then I head for home; the final 113 miles.

During the entire time, my truck had not one problem. I gave him some oil and trans fluid to stay topped off. Hardly used any water in the radiator. I was doing a lot of mountain driving too. I sped across all 11 states, cruising at 85-90mph was not uncommon; sometimes 100mph on declines in TN, PA, Virginia, West Virginia, etc. Anywhere with huge declines. I was carving corners at 85mph on wet West Virginia highways at night; my truck held steady and even.

By the grace of God, I managed to not get any speeding tickets (unless a camera caught me somewhere, but this was mostly rural, desolate highways; but I'm yet to be aware of it). I sped like a demon possessed, I made time everywhere we had a destination. I was sailing by cars and slicing through the traffic; my 35 year old truck leaving the most modern of cars behind in our wake. My truck and I were on a mission.


"We're on a mission from God."
-- Blues Brothers

[D-Day]

On the way to Centralia...









Some friends in Centralia, PA in front of my truck (the two on the left were the ones from Florida/Vermont).



Driving up the abandoned/closed down highway dirt pile for a photo op...









Somewhere in North Carolina...

[manimal]

Cool!

[86swb]

Some trip you had there.

[Curly86]

One wild ride

[old Rusty C10]

sounds like one heckuva trip how did yall do in AC?

[MylilBowTie]

Sounds pretty cool. Should I even ask what the gas bill was?

[sighlurr]

I was more worried about your wallet being able to make the trip with gas prices the way they are.

[D-Day]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

sounds like one heckuva trip how did yall do in AC?

Sorry, AC? Air conditioning?

Originally Posted by MylilBowTie

Sounds pretty cool. Should I even ask what the gas bill was?

I think a rough tally was around $800. I had a lot saved for this trip, so I was expecting it.

Originally Posted by dsigh

I was more worried about your wallet being able to make the trip with gas prices the way they are.

Indeed. But in a few years, these days will seem cheap.

Make the memories while you can, lads.

[old Rusty C10]

AC ya said you went to Atlantic City...

[D-Day]

Ah, sorry. I wasn't thinking.

It was pretty glum. There were $100 million casinos, yet right down the street was the ghetto. Definitely not glamorous like Vegas.

The funniest thing about Atlantic City, apparently their motto is, "Get turned on in Atlantic City" - followed by the Trump casino signs saying "Are you getting any?"

We were neither turned on, nor did we get any. Maybe it's nicer in the summer, but it was kind of depressing and gloomy.

[The Fab Shack]

Originally Posted by D-Day

Ah, sorry. I wasn't thinking.

It was pretty glum. There were $100 million casinos, yet right down the street was the ghetto. Definitely not glamorous like Vegas.

The funniest thing about Atlantic City, apparently their motto is, "Get turned on in Atlantic City" - followed by the Trump casino signs saying "Are you getting any?"

We were neither turned on, nor did we get any. Maybe it's nicer in the summer, but it was kind of depressing and gloomy.

No AC is not any better in the summer time at all. If you stay within the hotels and the boardwalk, it is a lot of fun with the ocean right there. But there is no getting away from the ghetto, but the ghetto doesnt really show itself on the boardwalk/beach.. at least not the times we've been there.

the ghetto in LV is right off the strip too, its just the strip is so packed you dont get outside of it.

Glad to see you had a good time on the long adventure.

[PhilaTruck]

What a cool story! I've driven cross-country several times. Loved every minute of them, except for the blizzard on 80 in Wyoming.

Anyhow, PA is a 5-hour state. I live in Philly and dropped my wife off at a local 4-5 star hotel restaurant where she was going to a bridal shower. The valets loved it. My wife loved it, gorgeous woman getting out of my ugly truck. Of course, I wasn't parking, just dropping off and I got to show off the exhaust note on the way out.

Centralia: We used to get $.10 beers there at a local bent elbow. I doubt the place is still there. Was that 61 in the Centralia pix? I used to wrestle up there in college and high school. Tough kids up there, good wrestlers. (I'm not from that area, not patting myself on the back.)

Tickets: I didn't see that you went through VA or MD or DC. You'll get photo-ticketed in those states at those speeds.

The story took me back memory lane. Thanks for sharing-

-Todd

[D-Day]

I didn't really go through DC, more like around on the loop. I kept my driving more reasonable around the cities because I saw the "photo radar" signs. I stayed with traffic in those areas where everybody was speeding just as much as me, not opting to pass everybody in sight. I usually take it a little easier around cities due to city cops.

[andresco50]

Woooooow how much gas$$$$$$ ???

[MylilBowTie]

Yeah I'd call those oil change trips. My rough guess is about 15.7 mpg

[D-Day]

I've only done the money, haven't added up mpg or gallons used yet, but soon. With mountain driving, I'd guess a lot less than 15.7 mpg, though.

[Frosty]

Very fun! Thank you for sharing!

[MylilBowTie]

800 in gas at 3.15 a gallon = 253.9 gallons.

4000 mile trip using 253.9 gallons = 15.75 mpg.

Do you have a small block or big block?

[D-Day]

Smallblock; 400 V8 with a 700R4 trans and 3.73 gears.

Man, I'd be tickled if I got as much as 15mpg average on that trip. I was heavy on the pedal.

[68gmcdually]

Wow what a trip. 72MARIO and I went drove to Conyers GA (2,200 miles round trip) a couple of weekends ago and we where only pulling 15 mpg with my dad's diesel, mind you we where pulling the trailer. If your truck was pulling 15 mpg I would be impressed.

[BurnoutNova]

thats a long ways for sure... last summer 2 friends and i went to NYC from lincoln, NE... about 1300 miles i think each way. we did it straight thru, in less than 20 hours. man it was a long trip, definately had ALOT of fun though

[Ole Blue 68]

Damn dude, that's some serious driving. You're the first person I ever met who WANTED to go to Centralia (no offense to any relocated coal crackers on the board...:-) Seeing those pictures makes me miss my home state.

[PhilaTruck]

Originally Posted by Ole Blue 68

Seeing those pictures makes me miss my home state.

So where in the PA are you from?

[Ole Blue 68]

Originally Posted by PhilaTruck

So where in the PA are you from?

Originally from outside of Allentown but then I moved to Philly and then to Houston in 2004.